Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
Echoes of John Cassavetes and Robert Altman abound in this muted chamber drama from US indie writer-director Ira Sachs. Set in the filmmaker's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, it examines a love triangle between charismatic record producer Alan James (Rip Torn), his much younger Muscovite girlfriend Laura (Dina Korzun) and the patriarch's grown-up academic son Michael (Darren Burrows) from an earlier marriage. "I have a beautiful life, I don't have the right to complain," says Laura of her materially cosseted existence, yet 40 Shades Of Blue subtly reveals the solitude, fragility and hurt beneath her Dietrich-esque impassive facade. An atmospheric film of eclectic music, snatches of conversation and interior compositions that swirl around and entrap the credibly flawed characters; it's wonderfully acted by Korzun and Torn. Recommended.
NO VERDICT
A new Batman #1 from Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez launches this September with a "revamped aesthetic," a throwback costume, and a new Batmobile
Marvel reveals its full slate of May 2025 comics and covers featuring the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and more
Former Witcher 3 lead says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker has a smaller open world because "it feels more like you actually know the place" compared to "behemoths"
